Tristen
by Blondie6
Summary: Buffy died - and ANOTHER slayer is called. The trials of a 15 year old whose entire life is flipped upside down by three words: " The Chosen One" R/R!


Tristen  
  
Chapter One  
  
Written By: Blondie  
  
Authors Note: Okay - this is my first Buffy fic, although not my first FF.NET fic! So tell me how it is alright??? PLEASE REVIEW!!!  
  
I climbed off the bus, taking in my surroundings. A cool breeze tickled the back of my neck and whipped around my bare legs. I lifted my duffel bag with ease and started down the empty road. The streetlights cast orange light, although not enough to dispel the eerie shadows.  
  
A Gap sweatshirt, although unneeded, rested on my shoulders. The navy blue blended with the shadows until I became nothing more than a creature of the night. I walked until I came to a motel. MOTOWN MOTEL flashed in red letters, although the N and E were missing.  
  
I trudged into the lobby and stood impatiently at the front desk. A gritty old man came out and glanced at me suspiciously.  
  
"One room," I stated flatly.  
  
"How long?" he growled.  
  
"One night," I replied. He handed me a slip of carbon paper and indicated for me to sign my name. I scrawled Joan Archer on the line, although that wasn't my real name. He nodded and handed me a set of keys.  
  
"Room 13," he said. I left the lobby and walked until I came to a door labeled ROOM 13. Shoving the keys into the lock, I rushed inside and slammed the door shut.  
  
The rooms were as grimy as the lobby had been. A single bed the color of rust rested in the corner. An old orange shag carpet covered the floor. Stains peeked out from under well positioned chairs and a small TV sat atop a plastic table.  
  
`How could anyone live like this?' I wondered and dropped my bag. I didn't bother changing from my jean shorts and sweatshirt. Instead I curled up on the bed and shut my eyes tightly, willing sleep to come.  
  
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"Dawn! Hurry up! You're going to be late for school!" Buffy called from the bottom of the stairs. A loud thud sounded from above and Dawn came thundering down the stairs.  
  
"Remember - I'm going to be at the Magick Box after school okay?" Buffy reminded as Dawn closed the door. Buffy turned and walked back into the kitchen.  
  
Willow stood before the stove struggling to flip an over-easy egg.  
  
"Stupid egg...come on, come on," Willow coaxed the egg onto the spatula then with a quick flick of her wrist flipped over the egg, "Score!"  
  
"Having fun Will?" Buffy laughed.  
  
"Oh hey Buffy! Did Dawny already leave?" Willow asked removing her attention from the sizzling egg.  
  
"Yep just left," Buffy answered and sat at the counter. Sun streamed in through the large windows, and birds chirped merrily outside. She stabbed at her own egg with her fork, watching the yolk ooze from the holes.  
  
"Worried about her?" Willow asked tipping the pan over a plate. The egg slid out of the pan, and Willow took a seat next to Buffy.  
  
"I just can't believe she would steal. I never thought..." Buffy replied.  
  
"She has had to grow up pretty fast..." Willow countered.  
  
"I know. I mean, she's had to deal with so much - it's just - Mom taught her what's right and wrong. I guess her taking all that stuff is like saying Mom failed," Buffy explained. Willow watched her friend closely. After all Buffy had been through, the fact that she still... survived - no lived... showed what a strong young woman she really was.  
  
Willow glanced at the clock on the wall, "Sorry Buff - I have to run! Class - I'll talk to you later okay?" Willow grabbed her backpack.  
  
"Okay - I have work anyway," Buffy stood up also. Piling her still full plate onto Willow's empty one, she placed them both in the sink and reached for her coat. The door slammed shut behind her.  
  
She took the bus to her mediocre job in the fast food industry.   
  
`My job sucks,' Buffy thought as she walked through the glass doors. But she couldn't complain - at least not too much - it did pay the bills. She took her place at the register. Already a line had formed. A tall girl with chin length blonde hair that flipped out at the tips and blue gray eyes stood before Buffy.  
  
Buffy stared at her expectantly, waiting for the order. The girl seemed to be sizing her up, but then spoke,  
  
"Small fries".  
  
"That's it?" Buffy asked. The girl nodded, so Buffy punched a key on the register. She handed the girl the receipt and moved onto the next customer.  
  
For some reason, the girl kept popping back into her head. Buffy had learned long before now to trust her instincts, so she looked up about to ask the girl her name. But she was gone.  
  
Sean, a new employee, placed her order of fries on the counter.  
  
"I think she left," Buffy told him, and he shrugged pulling the fries back. Buffy glanced up to see the receding form of the girl through the glass windows. Her navy blue Gap sweatshirt stood out among all the short sleeved tee shirts.  
  
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I left the restaurant, if you could even call it that, and hurried back to the motel.  
  
`So that is what a Slayer looks like,' I thought to myself. I certainly didn't fit the mold. I was tall and thin - almost to the point of stickly - but I had muscles. Especially in my legs - my legs were prime from playing basketball for so many years.  
  
I still hadn't changed out of my clothes from the night before, and I longed for a shower. But there was no way I would be undressing in a motel like that. I'd seen those movies - the ones where the motel manager and workers would have peep holes and would watch girls undress. Some sick stuff... and I had the feeling Motown Motels was not above it.  
  
I made a quick stop to a 7-11 and bought a Heath bar and a French vanilla cappuccino. I have a weakness when it comes to chocolate and caffeine. It was a part of my old life that I wasn't planning to give up.  
  
Then I returned to the motel to collect my duffel bag. When I turned in the key, the old guy croaked,  
  
"Leaving so soon," The look in his eyes made me want to vomit, but I quickly turned away and left the grimy motel.  
  
"Now where do I go?" I asked no one in particular. Although it seemed as if the day had just begun, it was already nearing sunset.  
  
`Graveyard I suppose...' I thought and wondered through the miniature town. It was surprising the number of churches I passed. Thirteen so far, but considering the size of the town... Either these people were religious freaks, or people could sense the Hellmouth - even if they didn't believe it to be there.  
  
I stopped at the first graveyard I saw, not bothering to find the name. I squeezed through the vertical bars - designed to keep trespassers out - leaving my bag behind.  
  
The sun had just set, and a cool wind swept through the graveyard. Leaves brushed across the ground and the wind whistled through the trees. I tried to ignore the sounds and instead focus on unnatural sounds. Things like footsteps, voices, etc...  
  
Almost immediately I heard the sound of a struggle. Running toward the noise I leaped over a tombstone to find Buffy pinned to the ground by a particularly gruesome looking vamp.  
  
I hesitated for a moment, but made up my mind. I dove on top of the vamp, freeing Buffy. The only problem was I conveniently left my stakes in my bag.  
  
"Stake!" I screamed. Buffy didn't seem to hear me, so I yelled it again. This time it got her attention, so she tossed me the long stake. I snatched it out of the air and plunged it into the vampires chest. It turned to dust and crumbled.  
  
Although the fight hadn't been particularly extensive, my breath was coming in ragged gasps. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, itching for more.  
  
I stood up, brushed the dust off my sweatshirt, and looked up. Buffy was staring at me. I leveled my gaze with her and held it. I didn't even blink until she spoke,  
  
"What are you?" 


End file.
